Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for August 19th

All Birthdays Edition today for members of Cream, Deep Purple and Queen...

8/19/1939 - Happy Birthday to percussionist extraordinaire Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker, 80 years old today. In the 1960's, Baker's skills earned him worldwide praise as "rock's first superstar drummer", especially for his work with Cream (and later, Blind Faith and Ginger Baker's Air Force) where his distinctive style melded a jazz background with African rhythms -- Ginger was a pioneer for drumming in non-rock genres like jazz fusion, heavy metal and world music, often all on the same record! Calling him "testy" or "incorrigible", though, would be kind...

8/19/1945 - Happy Birthday to singer Ian Gillan, 74 years old today -- Ian was the classic voice for the definitive Deep Purple line-up 1969 through 1973, their best stuff, no doubt: 1971's "Fireball"; "Machine Head" and the superb double live set "Made In Japan", both from 1972 (quite a year!); and '73's "Who Do We Think We Are?" -- "Smoke On The Water", "Child In Time", "Woman From Tokyo", that's all Ian Gillan, kids; also sang the role of Jesus Christ on the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar". Blimpville gets to check those chops out when Deep Purple rock it up at Merrill Auditorium right here in Portland this coming Rocktober 6th!

8/19/1951 - Happy Birthday to one of the founding members of Queen, bassist-songwriter John Deacon, 68 years old today -- Wrote several of the band's classic hit singles, most notably "You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites The Dust" and "I Want To Break Free" -- Wisely decided to retire from the band after Freddie Mercury's death; currently lives quietly with his wife in Southwest London, and outside of the band's financial dealings, John really has nothing to do with Queen anymore. Been there, done that apparently and we say good for him!

Share your meanderings with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"I'm happy, happy at home...", xoxo!